Our take

Explore where you live.

Here’s who will suffer most if California doesn’t end housing crisis: The California Legislature must get going on a viable way to provide more affordable housing. Otherwise, home ownership will continue to be elusive for millions of working-class and even middle-class people – especially for African Americans in Sacramento County.

Dan Walters: California now has the dubious honor of having one of the nation’s largest gaps between its pension promises to public employees and the assets it has on hand to pay those obligations. And the gap is widening.

Take a number: $1.59 million

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the front-runner for the 2018 governor’s race, raised no less than $1.591 million in increments of $1,000 or more in the first four months of 2017. That’s more than twice as much as rival Treasurer John Chiang’s $662,000, and more than three times former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s $474,000. Newsom tapped Hollywood, Bay Area investors, trial attorneys, and health insurance companies, though he is an advocate of single-payer health care, which would restrict health insurance companies’ ability to operate.

Newsom, the main promoter of Proposition 64 that is commercializing recreational marijuana, continues to tap the weed industry. For example, Indus Holding Co., gave him $10,000. Indus’ website calls it “an intellectual property and branding venture, (that) is redefining the expectations of California patients who choose cannabis infused edibles.” One of its companies offers “Toasted Rooster” chocolate bars. Another sells “BonBons, Soothers, Chocolate Coins and Pips: chocolate covered malt balls, red hots, salted almonds and espresso beans.” They’re sold in childproof containers. And so the kids will win, too.

Their take

San Diego Union Tribune: A Pew Charitable Trusts report shows how the state government can help the California Public Employees’ Retirement System and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System get on firmer ground: by emulating New York’s policies.

Philadelphia Inquirer: Residents who may ever get pregnant, sick, hurt, old or unemployed should head to Willingboro on May 10 and ask Rep. Tom MacArthur (R., N.J.) what he’s going to do about it. MacArthur put the House’s cruel American Health Care Act back on track last week by making a deal with the hard-right Freedom Caucus. Now it has a greater chance of life than many Americans will if it passes.

Read Next

Most of the political debate over health care reform focuses on expanding coverage for the uninsured and making care affordable for working Californians. But there aren’t enough doctors across the state.